Campaign Will Provide 11 Local Families A Hand-Up Into Affordable Homeownership!
Victoria – Habitat for Humanity Victoria launched its latest fundraising campaign today with the goal of raising $200k in 100 days to help give eleven local families a hand-up into stable, affordable homeownership. With construction now underway, additional funding is urgently needed to complete these homes as soon as possible.
“This campaign is about reaching out to our wonderful community in Greater Victoria and asking those who are in a position to do so, to come together to help provide these families with not only an affordable home, but one they own and have autonomy over,” said Yolanda Meijer, CEO Habitat Victoria.
“When I think about how the uncertainties of the past few months have made us all feel, I can’t imagine what it’s like to also live with the stress of housing instability and the lack of affordable alternatives in the local area each and every day. This crisis has highlighted just how important it is to have somewhere to call home.”
Habitat’s newest partner families have already started their 500 hours of volunteering with the charity, a requirement of the program, on top of their day jobs as drivers, caregivers, lab technicians, construction workers, educators and more. Many of them provide the essential services we rely on in the local community. Future Habitat homeowner John comments,
“Working in construction for so many years, I now have the opportunity to help build my own home and the homes of other families in Habitat’s program…it gives us hope.” Campaign Chair, Sybil Verch (Senior VP, Western Regional Manager of Private Client Group of Raymond James Ltd.), who led a previous Habitat campaign in 2015, is being joined by her husband Chad to once again lend her support to help Habitat achieve its goal.
“I truly believe in the value of homeownership and have seen first-hand the difference it makes for families who partner with Habitat. They have the drive and determination to be successful, they just need a hand-up to get there – and that’s where you come in!”
Local donors are the key to helping these families transform their lives. With a minimum donation of $1,000 per person, Habitat’s goal is to raise $200,000 between June 23rd – September 30th. One hundred percent of the donations made will directly fund the charity’s current build projects.
“We are delighted to be able to announce we have already received pledges of $23,000 towards this goal!” said Meijer. “I can’t wait to celebrate with our families, donors and community the completion of these homes.”
Habitat currently has two projects underway. One is a 10-unit townhome project in North Saanich located on Bakerview Place, and the other is a small single-family home under construction in Central Saanich as part of the new Timber Ridge project. Both were made possible through land donations by local developers.
“Habitat has been so fortunate to partner with John and Brian Berglund (Bakerview Place) and Gary Lunn (Timber Ridge) and the local municipalities involved to make these builds happen,” enthused Meijer. “Without the land being donated, we would not have been able to have this many homes under construction. It really does take a village!”
Future homeowner Erin summed up just how it feels to know she and her two children will be moving in to a home of their own “To have this opportunity with Habitat and the stability it will bring feels like winning the lottery. It’s such a relief. I feel like I can breathe again. We can stop treading water and finally move forward with our lives. To be paying an affordable mortgage and really contributing to our future feels so right to me.”
Please join us in helping John, Erin and all our partner families to achieve the strength, stability and independence they deserve. To donate or find out more about the new families who will benefit from your donation, please go to www.habitatvictoria.com/youarethekey
To learn more about the Habitat build projects underway, go to https://www.habitatvictoria.com/builds
